Anybody have a Morish Idol?

mjb1

New Member
Has anyone ever tried a Morish Idol in their reef tank? I know they really shouldn't be kept in a tank at all besides the ocean or the aquarium but I found one that eats frozen food and looks really nice. Also if you have had one have you had any problems with nipping coral?
 
S

smartorl

Guest
I think the only one on here who has had a MI was Crimzy. He was MIA until last week. I would recommend PM'ing him as he may not be back to see the thread but should get an alert about the message.
 

tangs rule

Active Member
I kept one for a year or so in a reef. I only bought him cause I saw him eat frozen at the lfs. He acted alot like a tang and ate about the same diet. Over time he'd eat anything, including nori off a clip. I fed him 3 times/day and never had an issue with him nipping corals, only a clam mantle every once in awhile. I lost him in an ich outbreak that came in on some live food (glass shrimps). I fully plan to get a pair of them later this year for my 475 reef.
They are not impossible to keep, as long as they'll eat and acclimate without going on hungerstrike. I know of a fish dealer in Dallas who personaly has one in a very large reef now, and has had him for 6 months or so. I'd NOT try one in anything under 120gal, or a crowded tank or an agressive tank. Idols seem to be very placid - like calm tangs, and prefer IME a docile tank without too much competition for food/space.
I worked hard at offering mine a VERY diverse diet and fed 8-10 different frozen preperations, various color nori sheet, dry foods, and the occasional live foods. (it's the live food from LFS that inroduced ich and the idol went on hungerstrike in qtine)

I'd still have him today if he'd survived qtine, casue that was the last time ANYTHING from another system went into a DT of mine without some effort to Qtine out pests.
 

mjb1

New Member
Well I did get him and he definitely does like to nip at my SPS! He's about 2" from tip of mouth to tail and ate 5 minutes after I acclimated him but does also like my rainbow monti and a big branching SPS I have. He is also nipping at some yellow sponges that are underneath some rock work but I expected that.
I am also having a problem with my yellow tang showing his boundaries which he thinks is the whole tank. I should have thought about the body shape and color before adding him but I never thought it would be an issue.
It's a 120 with 2 clowns, hippo tang, yellow tang, and a square anthias. The last fish I added was the anthias and the yellow tang never had an issue but not so much with the new one. I would change the rock work but I have so much coral and some are big pieces that only fit one way.
 

tangs rule

Active Member
The idol I had I put into a isolation tank for 4-5 weeks, while I monitored him for disease, and got him eating a variety of foods... I think by the time he got out of isolation and into the DT he had been fed so well on frozen he ignored the sps as it was too much work. Yellow tangs can get pretty territorial, I'd keep the lights off for 1/2 day+ and if he persists, I have gotten a tang to forget about bullying buy trying to net him....I've gotten the net out and chased a tang around a bit, and sometimes he'll forget about a new arrival.
 
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